Great Places To Live for $1,000 a Month

One of the many casualties of the pandemic and inflation is ever-climbing increases in rent in many places throughout the country. However, there are still plenty of beautiful places in the U.S. where you can still pay less than $1,000.

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GOBankingRates scoured the country to find cities with rents under $1,000, based on Zillow data. We then combined that information with desirable livability scores as rated by AreaVibes to find affordable places in the best locales. Click through to see the best places to live where rent is cheap.

• Monthly rent: $760.40
• Livability score: 75

If you’re looking for one of the most affordable places to live, consider Des Moines, Iowa.

AreaVibes gives Des Moines’s amenities an A+, listing leisure-time attractions that include Adventureland, Blank Park Zoo, and Iowa State Fairgrounds. The city also received high marks for its low cost of living and high marks for good, affordable housing.

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• Monthly rent: $764.60
• Livability score: 77

Fargo is a town for people who enjoy the nightlife. It gets an A+ on amenities from AreaVibes, and includes a thriving downtown, with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. The area is also rich in Native American history and art. It also gets an A in housing, making it an affordable place to call home.

• Monthly rent: $767.40
• Livability score: 75

AreaVibes gives Abilene an A+ on amenities, which include such attractions as: Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, and Prime Time Family Entertainment Center. Like many Southern states, you can expect hot, humid summers and short, cold and dry winters, but indoors will be air conditioned and spring and fall can be mild.

• Monthly rent: $793.80
• Livability score: 78

College Station has a high livability score over all, and as its name suggests, is a college town that manages to feel small while still providing big city access, according to AreaVibes. Though cost of living is a little higher here than some cities on the list, it’s worth it for its excellent public transportation, culture, nightlife and more.

• Monthly rent: $817.20
• Livability score: 76

Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma and Memorial Stadium, and can easily be packed with college students and football lovers alike. But it’s not only a college town–it caters to families and retired folks alike.

The cost of living is 5% higher than the rest of Oklahoma, but it makes up for it with an overall livability score of an A-.

• Monthly rent: $820.40
• Livability score: 78

Lincoln scores well in amenities and schools, decently in cost of living, but housing is on the pricier side here. There are fun attractions to visit such as Nebraska State Capitol, Sunken Gardens, and Lincoln Children’s Zoo, according to AreaVibes.

In Lincoln, you’ll find hot summers and snowy, cold winters. The best months are June through September, even with the heat, because you can get outside and enjoy what the city has to offer.

• Monthly rent: $837.00
• Livability score: 75

If you’re looking for a city with decent cost of living, good amenities and decent housing, Fort Wayne Indiana is the place to be. Real estate prices are 18% lower here than the rest of Indiana.

The area has four distinct seasons you can enjoy, each with its own unique benefits, and lots of outdoor activities such as festivals, dining and public parks.

• Monthly rent: $849.80
• Livability score: 75

Though Baytown may not be the cheapest place on the list, real estate is 33% cheaper here than in other parts of Texas. AreaVibes gives it good grades in amenities (A+), cost of living (B+), and Housing (A+).

Though the weather can be extreme in both summer and winter, there are some good months for enjoying life here, particularly late March to mid May and late September to early November, according to WeatherSpark

• Monthly rent: $850.40
• Livability score: 75

Henry Ford’s hometown is a place of historic significance and Midwestern charm. Enjoy museums, golf courses, parks, recreation and so much more all while spending less than $1,000/month.

AreaVibes gives it an A+ for amenities and its real estate prices are 12% lower than the rest of Michigan.

• Monthly rent: $850.80
• Livability score: 77

San Angelo is considered an “oasis town” because of three branches of the Concho River that run through it. This thriving town is home to Angelo State University, Goodfellow Air Force Base and its Concho Riverwalk is an award winning destination, according to the town’s tourism site.

Come for the A+ rated amenities, stay for the excellent housing and cost of living.

• Monthly rent: $855
• Livability score: 80

Not only does Huntsville score highly in amenities and cost of living from AreaVibes, it was voted the Best Place to Live in the United States by US News and World Report. Not only for its moderate cost of living but for such fun and beautiful attractions as the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the Huntsville Botanical Garden, and Harmony Park Safari.

• Monthly rent: $863
• Livability score: 84

Bellevue climbs the AreaVibes scale for livability, scoring an A+ in amenities, B- for cost of living and a B in crime.

The weather can be extreme at times, but there’s so much to do in this town that it’s worth venturing out even in the hot humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

• Monthly rent: $877.60
• Livability score: 78

Longview is one of those small Southern towns that exists because of the railroad expansion back in the 1800s. It’s come a long way from its humble roots, however, offering lots of outdoor recreation and leisure, well regarded for fine dining and a historic downtown.

AreaVibes gives it an A+ for its many amenities and a B for cost of living, making it an excellent city for the cost conscious.

• Monthly rent: $881.60
• Livability score: 76

This lesser known Ohio town gets an A+ in amenities from AreaVibes, an A for housing and a B for cost of living, making it an excellent choice for a number of reasons. Parma Heights real estate is 16% lower than the rest of Ohio, as well.

• Monthly rent: $887
• Livability score: 75

Situated near Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is a beautiful place to create a life. No surprise that it scored an A+ in amenities, with trails, public art, museums, craft breweries and historical attractions.

Cost of living is also quite decent, with real estate prices in Roanoke being 46.5% lower than the Virginia average.

• Monthly rent: $900.80
• Livability score: 75

Though you may never have heard of Florissant, you’ll probably want to: it’s a town with high marks for amenities (A+), crime (B+), cost of living (B+) and housing (B+). According to AreaVibes, Florissant ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities. That’s something to brag about.

• Monthly rent: $914.60
• Livability score: 93

Papillion, a city not far from Omaha, scores As and Bs in nearly every category except cost of living, which is a tad bit higher than other parts of Nebraska, according to AreaVibes.

Outdoorsy types will enjoy hiking, biking, camping, and families may want to check out such attractions as the Walnut Creek Lake and Recreation Area or Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Ranch.

• Monthly rent: $923.60
• Livability score: 88

This suburb of Cleveland scores decently in amenities, excellent in schools and crime from AreaVibes.

Though it has come a long way from its agricultural roots, it’s still a beautiful place to live for outdoors enthusiasts and people who like to take advantage of parks and trails.

• Monthly rent: $928.80
• Livability score: 81

Mishawaka is a suburban city that sits along the St. Joseph River. The city gets its name from Princess Mishawaka, daughter of Shawnee Chief Elkhart.

AreaVibes gives Mishawaka an A+ for amenities, which are plentiful, with a well resourced parks and recreation department, and an A- in cost of living.

• Monthly rent: $936.60
• Livability score: 77

Columbus is an interesting city on this list in that it scores several Cs with AreaVibes but an A+ in amenities for its plethora of stores, restaurants, parks, libraries and more.

A few popular attractions include: The Commons, Kidscommons, and Columbus Architecture Tours.

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Jodi Thornton-O’Connell contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: To find the best places to live where rent is $1,000 or less, GOBankingRates (1) used ApartmentList’s rent data to find cities with a 2022 average monthly rent of $1,000 or less. Cities must have a livability score of 75 or above, (2) as sourced from AreaVibes, to be included in the list. All data was collected on and up to date as of Jume 22, 2022.